My long-running World
of Samoth game still continues - as of May, we've been playing for
16 years now, starting with the 3rd Edition Rules, then to 3.5, and currently using a mix of Pathfinder
and Trailblazer.
I'm back to having four players, including my friend Brian who has been
with me since the very beginning, playing the same character, Jeremi Udall, a
cleric/sorcerer. My wife, Jody, is another one of my players that was
there at the very first session, and she's also playing her initial character,
a half-elf thief/fighter/shadow-dancer. She had to stop playing for a bit after
my daughter was born, but that was eight years ago (gasp!) and my daughter is
now old enough to entertain herself when we get together to play. My friend Cal
has been with the group for probably about 14 out of our 16 years, and is
back to playing his first character, a human fighter name Cirend (he
"retired" Cirend for a short time to play a holy warrior/sorcerer
character named Sameer, but somewhat recently retired Sameer and brought Cirend
out of retirement). Nick is my "newest" player, but he's been
with us for well more than half of the 16 years we've been playing, so he's
definitely a veteran. His character, Nicodemus, aka "Sombra"
("Shade") has a human holy warrior, and Nick created a very detail
history of the knightly order to which his character belongs, which has had an
impact on the history and politics of the world.
I've posted before about the Dwarves and Wraith Elves (aka "Dark Elves") of my
world, and on my campaign website, I did a write-up of the Goblins of Samoth, but I haven't delved too much
into the human cultures of the world. I was recently re-reading all of my World of Samoth posts here on my blog and found a
comment by long-time reader +Kelvin Green who mentioned (years ago) that he
wanted to see more posts about the World of Samoth. So, this is for him!
For the humans of my world, I mainly gave a sense of their culture by
giving examples to my players of each character class from the 3rd Edition Player's
Handbook (with the exception of the Druid, for some reason I can't remember
right now), and some ideas of how, and where, that class might fit into my
world. This was part of my "Campaign Primer" that I sent to my
players before we started playing all those years ago, and I patterned the
format off of the old 3rd Edition Hero Builder's Guidebook.
THE HUMANS OF SAMOTH
Humans are the most varied race on the
Samothian World Continent. They exist in
almost every environment, and they explore the world with great
enthusiasm. Human settlements and farms
spring up quickly in the explorers' wake.
Humans excel in commerce, the study of arcane arts, and military
campaigns. At the same time, humans tend
to live in a "human-centric" universe. They can be sheltered and unwittingly unkind
to members of other races.
Human characters are the standout
members of their race. Successful humans
often become vastly powerful, ruling entire nations or becoming the counselors
of kings and generals. Human characters
are drawn from many backgrounds. Some
are raised for a life of adventure, while others find the path as escaped
slaves, runaway apprentices, or simply farmers' children who hear the call of
their heroic hearts.
Your human character can come from
almost any background; the decision is up to you. Below are some ideas for human characters for
each class in the World of Samoth.
Barbarian
All barbarians are relatively rare in
Samoth, particularly in the more civilized nations. In Buchlayne Major (a continent to the far
West), most of the barbarian tribes were either wiped-out or converted to
Ætonism and “civilized” centuries
ago. The few remaining barbarian nations
can be found in the
Esorían Highlands and in Stadhof. The barbarian tribes of Buchlayne Minor (a
smaller continent to the east of Buchlayne Major; the bridge between East and
West) can be found thinly scattered in outlying areas of Kovlich and Margova,
and as desert dervishes in Zhivod. The
continent of Atkira (a mysterious southern continent) is home to many barbarian
nations, which live mainly in the southern part of the continent. There are no barbarian tribes left in Verundhi
(a "sub-continent" east of Buchlayne Minor), but there are some to be
found in the remote jungle, desert, and mountain regions of Sonsia (a massive
continent to the Far East).
Feat
Suggestions: A human picking
barbarian as a first-level character may want to consider Alertness, Power
Attack, and Track.
Zhivod
Dervish (Example): You are a member
of a proud tribe of nomads who make their home in one of the most inhospitable
regions on the continent, the fiery deserts of Zhivod. You do have contact with other more
“civilized” societies, but you would never give up your freedom for the
constricting ways of city life. Your
tribe does trade with other peoples when it sees fit, and so you have access to
a good array of weapons and equipment. Your loyalty is to the tribe first and to
yourself second. Having left the tribe
for an adventuring life, you earned the scorn and disrespect of your elders,
but you are determined to find a better way of life for your people so they
don’t have to go hungry and thirsty so often.
Suggested Skills: Handle Animal, Heal, Ride, Wilderness Lore
Bard
This class covers a wide array
entertainers, historians, storytellers, and morale boosters. They are common throughout the World
Continent, not just as musicians and singers but as important repositories of
ancient lore and forgotten cultures.
They are common through both Buchlayne Major and Buchlayne Minor,
particularly in Courriseux, the Imperial Theocracy, and the City of Ryn. In the far east, bards tend to focus more on
the acting craft instead of singing.
They are entertainers and masters of court intrigue.
Feat
Suggestions: Skill Focus
(Perform) should be first on the list.
Ibaran
Court Artisan (Example): You are rarity
among those in the Supreme Empire, a commoner who is training to be allowed to
have access into the Emperor’s Sun Court.
Your bard skills will be used to perform perform Noh or Kabuki drama (a
combination of acting, singing, and dancing) for the Emperor. You have also learned the highly valuable
skills of calligraphy, origami, flower arranging, painting, and landscape
gardening. Your skills are highly sought
after by nobles and religious figures in the nicest establishments in the
Empire. You have begun a life of
adventuring to broaden your skills and for a chance to learn something that no
other Court Artisan knows.
Suggested Skills: You should focus on skill ranks in Perform
(Noh or Kabuki), Craft (many kinds, including Calligraphy, Origami, Flower
Arranging, and others). Profession
(Artisan) and Gather Information are good secondary choices.
Cleric
Clerics are found everywhere
throughout the world. In the civilized
areas of Samoth, most clerics will follow one of the four main world religions
(Universal Ætonism , Eastern Ætonism, Bhuwani, or Holism). A quick glance at the Religions page will
show that even clerics within these religions are very different from each
other and may follow very different paths in their faith. In the outlying areas, clerics may be found
espousing the virtues of local folklore, superstition, or ancient, “pagan”
religions. Clerics are a favored class
in Esoría, the Imperial Theocracy, and Zhivod.
Feat
Suggestions: The choice will
depend greatly upon the religion that the character follows and preaches. Guardian Bhuwani Priests as well as Ætonists
should take Martial Weapon Proficiency or Combat Casting. Holem Clerics may want to consider Improved
Initiative or Alertness.
Illuminator
(Example): You are being
trained in a highly secretive, highly militaristic order of Universal
Ætonism to rid the Buchlayne of non-Ætonists, starting with all dwarves, orcs,
and arcane magic-users in Esoría. You
have been recruited for this elite group based on your strength, determination,
and desire to see everyone enlightened to the superiority of the Ætonist
faith. Will you choose to continue on
this path, or do you find the methods of the Illumination Council to be too
extreme for your tastes?
Suggested Skills: Concentration, Diplomacy, Knowledge (Religion
– Universal Ætonism)
Fighter
In the World of Samoth, one will find
fighters of all types: guarding merchant caravans, patrolling the streets with
the city guard, protecting nobles, and going off to war. The world can be dangerous, and many people
find it prudent to learn basic fighting skills from a local hero or soldier’s
guild. Some people are even self-taught
in the warrior’s arts. Most people who
decide to go adventuring in the world would never think of doing so without one
or two strong-armed fighters in their group.
Feat
Suggestions: The best choices
for a first-level fighter include Weapon Focus, Dodge, and Power Attack. For fighters wishing to specialize in a
particular form of combat, Point-Blank Shot or Mounted Combat may also be good
choices.
Throecian
Mercenary (Example): The Empire of
Throecia has dwindled down to but a pale reflection of its former glory. The Emperor desires to increase the power of
Throecia through any means necessary, including war. He is recruiting strong, able-bodied mercenaries
to build up his army and regain some of his lands lost over the centuries to
places like Zhivod, Margova, and the Goblin Lugalate. You are expected to be ready to answer the
call for war, but in the meantime you can adventure to gain experience and
treasures to make your status in the army even greater.
Suggested Skills: Ride, Climb, Intimidate, Spot, Craft
(Weaponsmith)
Monk
There are orders of monks throughout
the World of Samoth, mainly in the Far East of Sonsia and in Verundhi. But, even the continents of Buchlayne Major
and Minor have their own orders, which have developed spiritual teachings and
fighting styles that are a direct reflection of the areas in which they are
based. Monks tend to be lone, solitary
figures who spend their days meditating.
There are a few areas where groups of monks work together to overthrow
despots or free prisoners from religious persecution. In other places, however, some orders of
monks have been perverted into unholy killing machines by dark, unspeakable
magics. Take care, adventurer, that you
do not succumb to these temptations.
Feat
Suggestions: Your best bets
are Ambidexterity, Dodge, and Mobility.
Ryn
Protector (Example): Living in a
cosmopolitan city like Ryn can be difficult at times, given the misunderstandings
that are bound to occur with different cultures, racial groups, and religions
start to mix. As a Protector you help to
maintain law and peace in this large trading metropolis, no short order in a place
where conservative Ætonist priests may live side-by-side with Dwarf Holems and
“pagan” Orcs.
Suggested Skills: Tumble, Diplomacy, Move Silently, Listen,
Spot, Gather Information
Paladin
The life of a paladin is never
easy. Picked by higher forces for a life
of servitude, the paladin must be ever-ready to answer the call of his
god. This includes fighting the forces
of darkness, ministering to the sick, and setting a good example for all people
to live a life of good deeds and piety.
Few are capable of managing all of these tasks. Those special few who do manage can typically
count on the admiration of their fellows and grudging respect from their enemies. A paladin who fails in his duties, however,
can expect banishment, excommunication, and perhaps even the direct
intervention of his deity. It is a
tough, but very rewarding life, if you are up to the task.
Feat
Suggestions: Mounted Combat,
Power Attack, Weapon Focus, and Skill Focus (Heal) are good choices.
Sepoy
Kpeshiya Guardian (Example):
You are a follower of the Bhuwani Faith, and as a resident of Verundhi, you
have chosen the Sepoy Kpeshiya path of the Guardians. You are expected to uphold the tenets of the faith
and defend the followers of Bhuwani against outside forces, be they human,
magical, religious, or demonic in nature.
Your status as “divinely blessed” will help the morale of your comrades,
and puts you in a good position to become a leader.
Suggested Skills: Knowledge (Religion – Bhuwani Faith),
Knowledge (other types, including arcana and history), Ride, Intimidate.
Ranger
Many rangers are the epitome of the
classic woodsman. But, just as many are
not. Rangers operate in many different
settings, including mountains, deserts, plains, and even urban areas. As more or the world is explored and settled,
rangers help lead the way by scouting ahead for dangers and using their skills
to create settlements. There is call for
the ranger’s varied skills all throughout the world continent, particularly on
the fringes of civilization.
Feat
Suggestions: Alertness, Ride,
Point-Blank Shot and Far Shot will come in handy for most Rangers.
Stadhof
Border Scout (Variant): The land of
Stadhof is a bit backwards compared to the rest of civilized Buchlayne
Major. The country still clings to the
institution of feudalism and its various lords are always in a state of uneasy
truce trying to hold the country together.
To make matters worse, some of the only barbarian tribes left in the
Buchlayne are found on the outskirts of Stadhof’s borders. This is the setting for the Border Scout, who
may work for one of the armies of a local prince or duke, or even for the
ArchCleric of Stadhof, patrolling the border and keeping a watch out for
barbarian raiding parties, or even worse, orc horselords from the steppes.
Suggested Skills: Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Ride, Search,
Spot, Wilderness Lore
Rogue
There are all types of rogues in
Samoth: petty criminals, wilderness bandits, court spies, and even metropolitan
lords of the underground. There are even
some honorable rogues to be found, although such are rare. Just as any good adventuring party knows the
importance of keeping a few fighters around, such parties will also acknowledge
the value of a highly skilled rogue who can scout ahead undetected, open locks,
and spy on enemies. If he is carefully
watched by his party members, the rogue can work well in a party situation. The rogue comes into his own when operating
independently, however, and many will take on side adventures to keep their
skills sharp and their purses full.
Feat
Suggestions: A rogue
character should consider Alertness, Ambidexterity, Blind-Fight, Dodge,
Improved Initiative, and Mobility.
Rijnbosch
Merchant (Example): The life of a
merchant may originally not sound that exciting, but the merchant guilds of the
Rijnbosch Republic are powerful organizations that basically created a
nation. A Rijnbosch Merchant is more
than just a seller of goods, she is a community leader, explorer, trader, and
an “acquirer” of exotic goods. Many
guilds will send out the more adventurous of their members to find new and
mysterious goods to sell or export all throughout Buchlayne Major. A good Rijnbosch Merchant is well-rounded
with a lot of skills, and often serves as the public face for the party rather
than sneaking around in the background.
Suggested Skills: Knowledge (lots of different kinds),
Diplomacy, Bluff, Sense Motive, Gather Information
Sorcerer
The powers of sorcery are a mystery to
everyone in Samoth. Most arcane users of
magic study for years until they are able to create powerful spells. For a sorcerer, the power just seems to come
to him naturally. One day, without
training, the sorcerer discovered that he had powers to cast spells. Many legends have grown as to the source of
the powers, many believing that they are divinely inspired, and some that they
are given by demonic creatures. Others
believe they come from nature, from the very earth itself. A small few among the faith of the Hol
believe that sorcery is given to them through the blood of the djinn that runs
in their veins. No one knows for
certain. All that is known is that
sorcerers add an element of mystery and danger into the world. You should use this as an opportunity to make
some notes on how and when you discovered your powers.
Feat
Suggestions: Combat Casting
and Scribe Scroll are two good choices.
Characters with low constitution may want to consider Toughness as well.
m’Boro
Society Sorcerer (Example):
It is rumored that the m’Boro Society are the real rulers of Atkira (at least
in the north). Almost nothing is known
about the society, but many believe that powerful families from Zembari are the
power behind the m’Boro. The majority of
the Society are ritual magic-users. Very
little else about the Society and its goals is known. As a member, you were born into the Society. Will you exploit its power, or will you
investigate it from within to discover its true purpose?
Suggested Skills: Alchemy, Knowledge (arcana), Spellcraft,
Intimidation, and Craft (weaving) are good choices.
Wizard
Wizards are the subject of debate and
heated conversation in many parts of Samoth, particularly in Buchlayne Major
where they are nearly outlawed by the Universal Ætonist faith. In other parts of the world, the reputation
of a wizard is looked upon in varying degrees of suspicion. Some countries, however, have embraced the
wizard for the immense hours of study and dedication it takes to master the
arcane arts, and look to them for advice and information. Many wizards get their funds for continued
spell research from such advisor-roles.
As a newly freed apprentice, you should make some notes about your
previous Master, such as his personality, the type of magic in which he
specialized, and the morals that he taught you about using magic.
Feat
Suggestions: Combat Casting
and Scribe Scroll are good choices.
Zhivod
Astrologer (Example): As an
astrologer, you are a source of information and fortune-telling for the common
people. As your reputation grows, you
may even end up as an advisor in the court of the Caliph. Astrologers are part-mystic, part-showman,
and oftentimes part-charlatan. How you
want to play your particular Astrologer is up to you. Zhivod has a long tradition of astrologers,
and there is most certainly one of the type that appeals to you that will take
you as a student. Learn well, and one
day you may be able to pass your skills onto another.
Suggested Skills: Knowledge
(Arcana), Knowledge (Astrology), Scry and Spellcraft are good areas to focus.
I'd love to hear from others out there running their own homebrew campaigns,
and how closely, or how differently, their classes in their worlds follow any
of the above examples.
Hanging: Home office (laptop)
Drinking: Deschutte's Pinedrops IPA
Listening: "Dear Prudence" by the Beatles
